


Needles In The Underbrush

by captaineifersucht



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Hand Job, M/M, Pining, Really just a lot of fluff, Sleepy Will Graham
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-03
Updated: 2014-09-03
Packaged: 2018-02-16 00:17:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2248860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captaineifersucht/pseuds/captaineifersucht
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After wrapping up a case with his consulting position at the FBI, Will comes home eager to spend time with Frederick. He's forgotten that Frederick is going out of state for a few days for a conference.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Needles In The Underbrush

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was written for the Hannibal-ACCA for the month of August under a vague prompt for chillywilly. I was glancing through some of my old headcanons and...here we are! 
> 
> Thank you to [hannibalsketches](hannibalsketches.tumblr.com), as always, for reading through my nonsense and turning it into something comprehensible! 
> 
> More fluff than I'm used to writing--hope you all enjoy <3

When Will walked in the door, he frowned at what waited for him. Not seven canines with wagging tails and lolling tongues, but a carry on bag guarded by a rather sad-looking Winston. He’d forgotten that Frederick was leaving tonight for a three day conference in Atlanta. 

Will berated himself internally as he leaned over to give Winston a comforting pat on the head. Typically, he would take a half day and they would cook and eat a nice homemade meal before Will drove Frederick to the airport. But he had forgotten entirely about this trip in the midst of trying to catch yet another killer. 

Jack Crawford had requested Will’s help a week and a half ago on the case, tugging him out from behind his podium once more. Will had caught the murderer the previous morning, but not without a struggle. In the end, he had shot the man in the knee, leaving him with heaps of paperwork and an uncomfortable briefing that he had to sit through earlier that afternoon.

Frederick was always supportive when Will was pulled into profiling again, but Will still felt guilty. He tried so hard to keep his work separate from their home life. Yet, the two had bled together once again. 

Winston eagerly followed Will up the stairs to the master bedroom. He could hear the sound of coat hangers scraping across the metal rack in their closet, the other six dogs’ nails clicking upon the wooden floor. Will avoided the eighth step that made a distressed noise under anything heavier than Winston’s weight. 

He paused momentarily in the doorway. Fur slid against his jeans as the dog betrayed his presence. Frederick glanced up from where he was folding a pair of slacks into his sturdy suitcase with a smile. Will looked for any sign of it being forced, worried that Frederick was angry with him.

There was no indication of frustration, but Will was still feeling nervous. He moved to the bed, to Frederick’s side, reached to settle his hand along the other man’s waist. He murmured his apology into the warm cotton of Frederick’s sweater. “ I’m sorry I’m late, all the--”

“ I know, Will. Don’t worry about it.” Frederick moved back into Will’s embrace, firmly pressing the line of his spine against Will’s chest. They stood together, and Will placed his free forearm over Frederick’s lower abdomen, tucking his nose into the join of neck and shoulder. He inhaled, wishing that they had one night together, to celebrate the end of this case and be a normal couple, before Frederick left. But the doctor smelled of their shampoo, his own expensive cologne, and dog. He had showered and always saved packing for last--it made the dogs antsy. Maybe they would stop and pick up burgers somewhere on the drive to the airport.

Will pressed a few firm kisses against the warm skin of Frederick’s neck before pulling his face away. He dipped his fingers under the soft, black fabric of his sweater and tugged upwards, running open palms down to the beginning of Frederick’s groin. The other made a huff as Will teased the denim of his jeans, pressing eagerly beneath it to palm his arousal.

“ T-ten minutes, Will,” Frederick stuttered, canting his hips in a hesitant movement. Will loved to have him like this, rocking into his hand but wanting to grind back as well. “ You know how TSA is and I--” Will cut him off with a rough kiss, using his free hand to pull Frederick’s chin to the side. He rutted his hips against the other man’s ass.

He removed his hand and flicked open Frederick’s jeans, shoving them down with his boxers in an easy movement. Will’s other hand moved to clutch at the doctor’s chest, so that he was possessively held close as Will wrung pleasure from his body. 

Will was always emotionally unavailable, physically vulnerable when he was immersed in a case. He hadn’t properly touched Frederick in days. It’s not like his lover was needy, or incapable of masturbating, but Will wanted to spoil him. Will needed to reassure himself that he was able to take care of Frederick. 

“ Away from the suitcase!” Frederick gasped as he attempted to shift his body away with no avail. Will held him securely, hand moving quickly over his lover’s erection and teeth pressing into available skin. He knew where the invisible lines were drawn, how far he was allowed to spread his marks onto Frederick, especially with a conference so soon. Shifting back a few paces, Will leaned against the wall and continued his actions at a safe distance from Frederick’s half-packed bag. 

Frederick gasped, and attempted to form words that came out as half-moans and grunts. Will coaxed the noises with quick twists of his wrist, broad strokes of his tongue. When the staccato rhythm of his lover’s breathing ceased, Will knew he was close and sunk his teeth into heated skin. Frederick’s chest heaved, his head lolled back onto Will’s shoulder as he came, sticky release spreading down Will’s fist as he stroked through the aftershocks, squeezing the head encouragingly. 

Will glanced at the clock above the doorway and smirked as he pulled his hand away. He strode to where the Kleenex sat atop the nightstand, pulled a few up to clean off his hand and offered the rest to Frederick. " Six minutes, what do I win?" 

Frederick was still catching his breath, chuckling at Will. This was their norm, the everyday that Will had longed for but hadn't been able to reach out to grasp while occupying the inside of a killer's mind. There was a hand on Will's cheek and Frederick kissed him sweetly. " You can help me finish packing."

A minute passed before Will found it in himself to pull away from the safe, stabilizing warmth of Frederick's body. He sat on the edge of the bed, catching the various shirts and pants that were tossed at him from the closet that Frederick had turned back to. Will carefully folded each article and placed it in the suitcase. When a large, worn pullover came flying at his face, he smirked. It was dappled with white house paint splatters and stiff in spots with dried schlack. The faded blue fabric was shredded at the sleeves and fraying at the hem. Will couldn't help his smile. " I didn't know you still had this. Thought we tossed it after spring cleaning." He folded the arms behind the body of the sweater and placed the abused garment tenderly atop the pile. 

Frederick turned away from the closet; they were done packing. As the minutes ticked by, Will was closer and closer to being alone for three days. He wanted to do nothing but curl up in the patch of sun on the bed with his lover, but Frederick moved to the bathroom to clean himself up properly and Will felt compelled to follow him.

" Smells like you," Frederick mumbled around a toothbrush when Will joined him. Will watched as a glob of foam landed itself into his lover's beard. When it went unnoticed, Will stopped him from exiting the bathroom with a washcloth, dabbing up the majority of the visible white mess, but leaving Frederick’s beard with a distinct mint smell.

“ You’re saying I smell like sealant and paint fumes?” Will zipped up the suitcase and hauled it downstairs. The dogs whined, circled their beds near the fireplace and then came back to nose at both Frederick and Will’s palms. They didn’t know it was just Frederick leaving this time.

Will did a quick check of water and food bowls before locking the doors and heading out to where Frederick was putting the suitcase into the trunk. Dry, dead leaves crunched beneath his feet and the wind whipped at their hair mercilessly. _At least Frederick will be warmer in Georgia_ , Will thought to himself as he hopped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. 

The doctor settled back into the seat after impatiently turning the radio on. Some acoustic song hummed over the sound of the car. Frederick was thinking, trying to piece something together. His breathing was deep and he looked out the window thoughtfully. Will wasn’t about to interrupt his musings, despite the desire to talk, to have all the domestic conversations that he had avoided with silence and dismissed with grunts during the case. 

“ You smell like cedar.”

Will raised a brow and turned to glance over where Frederick sat with a triumphant look on his face. He was smiling lazily, returning Will’s gaze. Lost in a memory. “ I wear that when you’re on cases, you know. Because you come to bed so late, you end up waking up on the couch, always at the lab. Everything smells a lot more like dog and less like...well, you.” 

“ I smell like cedar?” Will wasn’t convinced, but smiled anyways. Frederick had always been the sweeter, more sentimental, of the two of them. 

“ And sap, the needles in the underbrush. You smell like the river when we’ve had too much rain and the coals of a fire left to smolder.” There was an unmistakable trembling in Frederick’s voice now, but Will couldn’t bring himself to look away from the highway. “ You smell like home, Will.” 

\---

Will found it harder than usual to let Frederick go at the drop off lane. He shifted nervously on his feet as they removed Frederick's luggage from the trunk and double checked the location of his boarding pass. 

" Gonna miss you," he whispered into the doctor's ear as they hugged. " I love you, Fred."

Frederick kissed him chastely, brushed an unruly curl to the side of his forehead, and stepped back. " Love you too, dear. I'll call you when I land." 

\---

Will drove home alone, through the roar of plane turbines and quiet forests. The hiss of tires on pavement was interrupted only when he pulled off the county road to their gravel driveway. He heard the dogs excitedly scratching at the door, eager to greet whoever was coming home. 

The house was too silent, despite the whining of canines. Too still, even when the dogs swarmed about his feet. Will felt guilt pool in his stomach like acid and tried to mitigate the suffocating emotion with the memories of Frederick's physical reassurances. There was nothing more he could’ve done during the case. It wasn’t his fault. Frederick didn’t blame him, had welcomed him home today with no hard feelings. It was only three days.

He reheated some Kraft leftovers and settled onto the couch. 

Rapid Spanish filled the living room when Will turned on the television for background noise. He smiled sadly and flipped the channel. Frederick had probably been catching up on his soaps while Will stayed late at Quantico. Will could easily picture his lover wrapped in the maroon throw he favored so much on the couch, the dogs bracketing him protectively. Frederick _had_ been sound asleep on the couch when Will came home early in the morning, two days ago. 

His lover's words spun around his head. Frederick had spent the last week and a half missing Will so much that he wore an old, smelly garment to comfort himself. Will pulled the other man’s prefered blanket off the back of the sofa and brought it to his nose. Ink, chili powder, and an undertone of hand sanitizer. He inhaled deeply once more and smiled in that same, lazy way that Frederick had in the car earlier. Home.

\---

When Frederick called, Will was half asleep on the porch. It was dark, the remnants of sunlight glowed from in between silhouetted branches. His legs flailed as the loud ringtone roused him. The whiskey tumbler clinked as it toppled over and Buster lapped up the spilled alcohol. Will shooed the small dog away and opened the call.

" Hey, Fred. How's Atlanta?" Will pulled the throw tighter around his shoulders. The wind whipped through his hair. There was a storm on the horizon, lightning occasionally illuminating dark clouds. 

He gathered his glass and bottle of whiskey and ushered the dogs inside as Frederick described the amenities in his hotel room. Will wished that he had said yes when offered the chance to join his lover a few months ago. 

Frederick fell asleep on the phone after they had chatted for half an hour. Will laid in bed, lulled by the doctor's deep breathing and soft snores into a light sleep. 

\---

The next day, Will made up for lost time with the dogs. He walked with them down the well worn path to the stream. Will watched as they loped around the fields. There would inevitably be nettles that he would remove later that evening, but the experience was worth it. Frederick let the dogs out, but never took them out past the clearing surrounding their home. 

Will cast two lures from his poles that he propped up in between some boulders. He shimmied into the thick, rubber waders and moved against the current of the stream as the dogs rested in the sun. In the few hours that followed, Will caught half a dozen brook trout and a few blue catfish. He strung them up, packed his poles, and started to head home with dogs in tow. 

There was enough fish for a month in the freezer, the dogs were contentedly napping, and Will had sunk into the couch once more. He put together a power point presentation based on his last case. The night ended with a bowl of cereal and two fingers of whiskey. 

Will settled into bed early, at a loss for further activities. There was no Frederick to tell him about his long day, the leeway he'd made in his study, or the new novel he'd started to read. He laid on his side and watched his phone, waiting for a call that wouldn't come. 

He slept fitfully. The autumn breeze was still moving through the house, but Will sweated through his shirt. His legs were tangled within the sheets and he woke gasping for air. He stripped.

Still half-asleep, Will stumbled out of bed and pulled the duvet with him. Will left it sprawled across the floorboards. He reached blindly into the open closet, scrabbling for purchase on any garment on the left side. Most of the clothing was gone, packed away with Frederick in Atlanta. There was a blazer, shoved far in the corner, that Will clutched to. He dragged it with him back to bed and laid on his back, the stiff fabric draped over his naked torso. Vivid images of Frederick walking the halls of the BSHCI filled his head as he breathed in the sterile scent that clung to the fabric. 

As he soundly fell asleep, Will wondered if Frederick had pulled out the old hoodie too.

\---

On the second day of Frederick’s conference, Will went into town to get more fresh produce. He would cook a nice vegetarian meal for when the doctor returned, on Monday. The conference ended on Sunday, but the flights that evening were more expensive, and Will would have to drive out early in the morning to pick up the other man. Neither of them would be suited for work the next day, so they had decided that Frederick would stay the extra night in Atlanta and take a cheaper plane home Monday morning. 

Will was overeager to get something that would please his lover, picking up and comparing bags of beans that needed to be soaked before cooking. It was easier to use the cans, but Frederick insisted that they tasted better this way. So Will got the dried beans, rice, fresh tomatoes and peppers, and a large bag of dog food. 

He paid for everything, pushed the cart out to his car, and fished for the keys in his pocket. The drive home was short and dull. Will thought that it was getting colder.

As he lugged the dog food inside, Will felt his back pocket vibrating. He tried to navigate himself between the dogs with the heavy bag in one arm while his free hand grappled for his phone, but the vibrating ceased just as he dropped the food inside the pantry. Will pulled his phone out and made a noise of disapproval--Frederick’s faced glowed next to the missed call symbol.

The dogs sniffed at Will eagerly as he called Frederick back, hoping that he’d caught the other man at a good time to talk. After all, only a few seconds had passed. Will listened as the call connected, rang once, twice, three times and then there was static and a knocking sound. 

“ Will? Are you there?” Frederick sounded as though his cheeks were flushed with exertion. Will glanced at the clock. It was just past lunch time and there were surely more seminars to attend throughout the afternoon. The doctor was probably scurrying through the hotel after eating something extravagant. Will hoped that their vegetarian options were filling enough.

“ Yeah, sorry, I was bringing in some dog food. Just got home from the store.” He adjusted the phone between neck and shoulder as he put the vegetables away in the refrigerator and began to fill a large pot with cold water for the beans. “ How’s the conference? Meet anyone interesting?”

Frederick was definitely walking, his breathing was labored as he responded. They spoke of articles and the more prominent academics that Frederick had met the previous evening. The doctor excitedly relayed that one of his peers had referred him to a few newly published papers that might help with his thesis. Their conversation was short--there was another lecture being given in five minutes. When the background noise picked up, Frederick hurriedly told Will that he loved him, that he’d try and call the next evening when the activities would die down. 

Will hung onto the sound of Frederick’s voice and whispered his own goodbye softly. 

\---

The evening passed without fanfare. Will stoked a fire to life and fell asleep on the couch for a few hours. When he woke, the bottle of whiskey was half empty and he was thoroughly encased in Frederick’s blanket, surrounded by dogs. 

He shooed the animals away and untangled himself from the warmth. The fire was mostly dead, weak streams of smoke snaking up the chimney. Will’s neck was sore from the angle it had dropped into and his sockless feet were cold to the bone. He rubbed his arms as he moved upstairs in an attempt to bring heat back into his body. 

The bed was a mess from the night before, so Will simply fell into it. Frederick’s blazer was crumpled up to his side, a few pillows scattered about the mattress. Will pulled one under his head and shuffled back against the others, allowing their comforting weight to stabilize him. He burrowed his body under the blankets and face into his lover’s clothing before falling back into a dreamless sleep.

\---

Sunday moved slowly. Will tried to distract himself, eager for the night to come so he could have an actual conversation with Frederick, the possibility of convincing him into phone sex. Either was fine, as long as they got to spend more than thirty minutes speaking to one another. 

Will thought about how in the past, before they had started dating, he had no problem in spending his days alone. It didn’t matter, there was always something to be done around the house. But now, he was addicted to the doctor’s presence. Will ached to hear Frederick humming off-key around the corner, attempting some new recipe that one of his colleagues had suggested. The dogs had been his companions for years, but Will had easily fallen into the comfort of having Frederick as a partner. 

The dogs were more than happy to spend most of the day outside while Will chopped wood. There was no need for more fish, he was completely caught up on his lectures, and the papers that his students had turned in last week were fully graded. He was sweating, arms trembling with effort by the time the last log had been split. Their pile of firewood had grown considerably and Will had successfully wasted a few hours. He washed the stink of sweat from his body and shaved his stubble to make himself more presentable. The sun was still high in the sky.

He fed the dogs and fixed himself a sandwich. Will tried to drag out his meal. He turned on Netflix and picked at the crust of the bread. All the movies he flicked through were ones that Frederick wanted to see, so he chose a TV show that they’d already marathoned and rewatched two episodes. Will didn’t know whether to be proud or sad that he’d made a sandwich last for nearly an hour. 

When darkness fell, he built another fire. The dogs always enjoyed the warmth and Will found himself placated by the smell. It soothed him. The wood crackled and popped, scaring Maggie into barking with each incident. 

The next time that Maggie barked, it was at Will’s phone. The electronic tone resounded through the open living room, rousing all of the dogs. Will shushed them as he answered the phone with a smile already plastered on his face. “ Hey, dear. What’s up?”

“ Will," Frederick sighed and it sounded like a prayer. " God, I miss you. "

It felt like Frederick had been gone for two weeks, and not three days, because of the case. Will understood. " I know. I'll see you tomorrow though!" He tried to sound excited even as his body ached for the other's presence. " I soaked a whole bunch of black beans for you today."

Frederick hummed in approval. Will could hear him settling onto the bed. When there was no response, he spoke again. " What'd they feed you guys tonight? You're not gonna fall asleep on me again are you? "

A chuckle crackled through the phone line and Will smiled in response. Frederick described an elaborate pasta that he ate for dinner, how his table mates had eyed the roasted red pepper sauce and various vegetables jealously. Will promised to make some attempt at it while contemplating the effort of whipping up dinner for himself. 

They spoke softly to one another as Will boiled a pot of water and cooked spaghetti. Frederick recounted the more interesting topics that had been covered during the weekend. Will didn't have a hard time conveying his curiosity and once again he wished that he'd tagged along. 

Halfway through an anecdote, Frederick stopped short. Will was cleaning his dishes from dinner and putting away leftovers. He made a noise of confusion into the receiver.

" Oh, Will. I love you, but I forgot--I promised to have coffee with a professor from Harvard before they left this evening. I'll text you, okay?" Frederick sounded as if he was rushing around and grabbing things. Will smiled at the image, one that occurred nearly every morning in their household. 

" All right, Fred. Love you."

Will finished his chores, let the dogs out once more and turned in. His phone buzzed an hour later with a heart and smiley face from Frederick. He lazily tried to send a text back just as Winston hopped onto the bed. The dog shuffled against his side and Will figured there really wasn't much to reply to. 

He draped the already thoroughly wrinkled blazer over Winston, who gladly accepted Will's cuddling. After three nights, Will had created some sort of nest, with dog and pillows surrounding his body and Frederick's scent under his nose. It was comforting.

Will surprised himself by falling asleep without staring at the wall for half an hour. His arms, heavy as lead with exhaustion, must have dragged him below the surface.

\---

Frederick tried to keep the dogs quiet as he unlocked the front door blindly in the darkness, cooing at them from behind the wood. It was nearly three in the morning now, and he was beyond tired.

There had been an opening on a last minute flight to Virginia. After a week and a half detached from Will due to the profiler's work and then another three days physically absent because of this conference, Frederick was done. He hadn't been about to wait another night. 

The dogs had quieted upon hearing his voice outside. They remained so only when Frederick produced a bag of treats and handed them out one by one. Living with seven dogs had been hard at first, but he missed them too, now. They were like children. 

And one was missing.

Frederick left his bags in front of the door and headed upstairs. He didn't doubt that Winston was in bed with Will. The mutt was always more protective of him.

He paused momentarily in the doorway, taking in the sight afforded to him by a full moon and open curtains. Winston raised his head sleepily. Will didn't stir.

Toeing his shoes off at the door, Frederick moved quietly inside. He stripped off his sweatpants, but kept on Will's old hoodie. It was colder than when he'd left. 

From his new angle, it was easier for Frederick to fully see the fortress that Will had built for himself. There were pillows in the place where Frederick normally laid and Winston was covered in not a blanket, but one of his own nicer jackets. The tailored piece was creased and covered in dog fur. Will fisted the shoulder of it, holding the bunch of fabric he'd gathered close to his face. 

Frederick drank in the scene, but had little self control. He couldn't stand on the sidelines. They'd been apart far too long.

He gently tugged away each of the pillows. With his space cleared, he lowered himself onto the mattress with a contented sigh. The plane ride had been jam packed and Frederick's limbs were sore. Carefully, he rolled onto his side and wrapped an arm securely around Will's waist.

During the case, Will was too prone to night terrors to allow for spooning, let alone cuddling. Frederick brushed his nose along the other's pulse point, the line of his hair, and finally rested it on his shoulder. The musky spice of sweat clung to his skin. 

Will's body shifted back. He rolled his shoulders. " Fred?"

Frederick rarely ever got a surprised tone out of Will. He considered the incredulous note at the end of his own name to be a success. " I came back early, love. Go back to sleep."

Will made an unintelligible sound and pressed himself more firmly into Frederick's grip. The doctor could have sworn that Will's muscles relaxed more than they had in months and his pulse slowed below the normal resting rate. 

He inhaled again, but realized that what he smelled wasn't entirely Will. The earthy tones had traced themselves back to a foreign soil. There was hot fire in the creamy cold that was all Will, polished wood against wild bark. And above all--dog. It was him and Will, the two of them, their _family_. Together, they had made a home.

**Author's Note:**

> [follow me on tumblr for more~](lemonscientist.tumblr.com)


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